University of Florida Diabetes Institute

02/25/2026

We are honored to spotlight "About the Editor: Mark Atkinson, PhD — A Leading Voice in Type 1 Diabetes Research,” in Diabetes Care, celebrating the remarkable career of Dr. Mark Atkinson, PhD. As a pioneer in type 1 diabetes research and longtime leader in the field, Dr. Atkinson’s work has profoundly shaped our understanding of disease prediction and prevention. His decades of scientific dedication and mentorship continue to advance the future of diabetes care and inspire the next generation of researchers.

Read the full article here:
https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/49/3/364/164476/About-the-Editor-Mark-Atkinson-PhD-A-Leading-Voice

02/25/2026

We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Aaron Cox, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at UTHealth Houston, to the UFDI Spring Seminar Series! Following an in-depth tour of the UFDI’s history led by Dr. Mark Atkinson, Dr. Cox delivered a compelling talk entitled, "Signaling pathways governing beta cells proliferation and survival." Thank you to everyone who joined us and to Dr. Cox for sharing his research!

02/19/2026

This Giving Day, please consider supporting the Diabetes Institute with a gift. Every contribution helps advance our mission to improve the lives of those affected by diabetes.

Your donation supports critical work across the Institute, including:

1. ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes): A statewide tele-mentoring network that equips healthcare providers with the latest diabetes expertise, expanding high-quality care to underserved and rural communities.

2. TARGET-Diabetes : Using artificial intelligence to discover better treatments for Type 1 diabetes by repurposing safe, existing medications and speeding them toward patients.

3. Food Is Medicine (FiM): partnering with colleges across the University of Florida campus to bring diabetes education into the Food is Medicine program.

4. Trials and Screening: Connecting patients to advanced therapies and preventative care through clinical trials and early detection programs.

5. Research to Cure Diabetes: Leading the way in basic and translational research focused on preventing and ultimately curing diabetes.

Make your impact here: https://givingday.ufl.edu/campaigns/uf-diabetes-institute

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02/19/2026

Giving Day is almost here! Join us in advancing diabetes research, care, education, and outreach at the University of Florida Diabetes Institute as we work together toward a diabetes-free world. Your gift fuels groundbreaking discoveries, compassionate clinical care for patients and families, and the training of future scientists developing cutting-edge treatments.

Make your impact today: https://givingday.ufl.edu/campaigns/uf-diabetes-institute

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02/18/2026

Type 1 diabetes care is rapidly evolving. What do the latest advances in diagnosis, treatment, and technology mean for patients and clinicians?

We are proud to announce a new authoritative review from Dr. Desmond Schatz and Dr. Laura Jacobsen in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) synthesizing the most current evidence shaping care.

Read the full review here:

This narrative review discusses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of type 1 diabetes.

02/13/2026

We are proud to share our latest research published in Science Advances detailing the identification of a type 1 diabetes–associated T cell receptor profile from human peripheral blood. This study sheds light on immune signatures that may help guide future diagnostics and therapies in T1D.

Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eANMxk-Z

This work was supported by grants from the HCTrust, National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), UiO World-Leading Research Community, UiO: LifeScience Convergence Environment Immunolingo, EU Horizon 2020 iReceptorplus, Norwegian Cancer Society, and Research Council of Norway.

Thank you to all the collaborators and funders who helped make this possible.

02/11/2026

The UF College of Medicine’s 16th Annual Celebration of Research showcased the scientific progress making an impact throughout our community and beyond.

The event began with a Research Symposium, where Dr. Todd Brusko and Dr. Laura Jacobsen represented the UFDI by discussing emerging diabetes innovations both in research and clinical practice.

The celebration continued with a poster session in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, where students showcased cutting-edge findings related to College of Medicine biomedical research. Posters demonstrating excellence received awards based on discipline and research career stage.

Thank you to all who made this event a success, and well done to our researchers and students for sharing their discoveries throughout the College of Medicine.

02/06/2026

A new article from UF News reveals how type 1 diabetes may be detectable at birth through specific protein markers in umbilical cord blood. These findings could lead the way for earlier, non-invasive screening. Read the full story below.

One day, there could be a new test to screen for type 1 diabetes, now that scientists have found markers in the blood of the umbilical cords of children who were later diagnosed with the disease.

01/07/2026

🎉 Please join us in congratulating Dr. Nadja Makki and Dr. Stephanie Karst, recipients of the 2025 UF Diabetes Institute Seed Grants.

These grants support innovative diabetes research projects designed to generate preliminary data for future external funding. We look forward to seeing the impact of their work on advancing diabetes research at the University of Florida.

12/18/2025

🎄✨ The UFDI team came together to celebrate the season at our holiday party! It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on a year of collaboration and progress in diabetes research and care. Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening so special!

12/15/2025

🎉 Big congratulations to Dr. Desmond A. Schatz!

Dr. Schatz has been named a 2026 PES Laureate Award recipient, recognizing his outstanding contributions to pediatric endocrinology, research, and leadership.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved achievement and look forward to seeing Dr. Schatz recognized at the 2026 PES Annual Meeting. 🧬

12/15/2025

🧬💡Major news from diabetes research!

Scientists have identified a crucial clue in how Type 1 diabetes begins, before symptoms show, by observing how and which insulin-producing cells are attacked first in the pancreas. This insight moves us closer to earlier detection and smarter intervention strategies.

🔗 Read the full article here:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the body mistakenly attacks itself as the immune system destroys the pancreas’s insulin-producing…